Socket for ink cylinder



Dec. 18, 1956 c. w. CHASE SOCKET FOR INK CYLINDER 3 Siesta-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1955 frzfirzz r Como/z ZZ/ ZZET Chase HJML c. w. CHASE 2,774,299

SOCKET FOR INK CYLINDER Dec. 18, 1956 Filed Feb. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. .18, 1956 c. w. CHASE 2,774,299

SOCKET FOR INK CYLINDER Filed Feb. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 C0 73907 2 [/ZaZi'e 2* Ckczae United States Patent 6 SOCKET FOR INK CYLINDER Corson Walter Chase, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, BL, a corporation of Illinois Application February 18, 1955, Serial No, 489,091

7 Claims. (Cl. 101-348) The present invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to a socket for adjustingly mounting ink cylinders therein.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved socket for an ink cylinder which after initial adjustment, is self-adjusting to accommodate itself to changes in the diameter of the rollers which it engages resulting from heat and absorption of ink and which permits substitution of replacement rollers having a different diameter Without necessity of readjustment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved socket for an ink cylinder which enables the cylinder to bear resiliently and, if desired, with equal force against two ink rollers laterally spaced from one another.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved socket for an ink cylinder which enables force to be brought to bear resiliently against two ink rollers, either equally or in a predetermined ratio, independently of external forces such as imposed by gravity or by the pressure of auxiliary rollers and cylinders.

It is another object of the invention to provide a socket of the above type which permits endwise cylinder vibration and in which the end of the cylinder shaft is accessible for coupling to a vibrating mechanism.

It is a further object to provide an improved socket having novel means for applying resilient pressure upon adjacent ink rollers but which has a novel throwofi mechanism for positively retracting the cylinder from the rollers for adjustment or replacement of the latter.

Finally, it is an object to providea socket for a printing press cylinder which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is easily adjusted, which facilitates adjustment of the cooperating ink rollers and which requires little or no service during the life of the press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description andupon reference to the drawings in which:

Figure l shows an arrangement of inking rollers in .a printing press and employing sockets constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in partial section of a socket constructed in accordance with the present invention.

'Fig. 2a is a section taken along the line 2a2a in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 with the ink cylinder retracted by the throw-off handle.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

'Fig. 6 is an end view of the cylinder and associated rollers taken along the line 66 in-Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vector diagram showing the forces acting upon the cylinder 23 under operating conditions.

"While the invention has been described in connection with 'a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to such embodi- 2,774,299 Patented D ec. 18, 1956 ment, but intend to cover all modifications and altemative constructions which are included withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning to Figure 1, an ink roller arrangement indicated generally at 10 is fed by ink from a fountain roller 11 and serves to apply. a thin and uniform film of ink to plates mounted on the plate cylinder 12.

Included in the path of ink flow are a feed roller 13 and transfer rollers 1416 which supply a film of ink to the first ink drum 17. Ink is taken from the ink drum 17 by rollers 18, 19, a portion of this ink film being transferred to a second ink drum 20. From the ink drum 20, the film is transferred to the plate cylinder by form rollers 21, 22. Ink is additionally supplied to the form rollers by auxiliary cylinders 23, 24 respectively which receive their ink supply directly from the rollers 18, 19 previously referred to. The cylinders 23, 24 are mounted in socket 31, 32 respectively, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Turning next to the side elevation of the socket shown in Fig. 2, the press side frame, indicated at 33, is provided with opening 34 having clearance for a shaft 35 on the cylinder 23. At its outer end the shaft 35 carries a collar 36 which is engaged by a vibrating arm 37. Similar means, not shown, are provided for vibrating the ink cylinders 17, 2d and 24. The vibrating mechanism does not per se form a part of the present invention and may, for example, be of the type disclosed in Crafts et al., patent, U. S. Patent No. 2,506,778, dated May 9, 1950.

Surrounding the shaft 35 is a sleeve bearing or bushing 40. In accordance with the present invention, the bushing 44 is mounted for bodily swinging movement on a pivoted link or yoke which extends parallel to the cylinder shaft to guide the cylinder along a desired straight line path of adjustment between the two rubber rollers 18, 21 which the cylinder engages. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the yoke, indicated at 45, has spaced parallel arms 46, 47 and an interconnecting portion 48. At its inner end, for the purpose of mounting the bushing 40, the yoke carries opposed stub shafts 49, 58 which are held in place by set screws 51, 52. The stub shafts extend into diametrical bores 53, 54 formed in the wall of the bushing 4%, so that the bushing is rockingly cradled between the arms of the yoke. The alined stub shafts 49, 59 form a hinge connection for the bushing 40.

At its outer end the yoke 45 is hinged to a mounting plate 55 for rocking movement about an axis 56 which extends transversely with respect to the shaft of the cylinder and parallel to the pivoting axis of the bushing 49.

I The plate 55 has a pair of upstanding ears,'56, 57 (see also Fig. 5) which carry outwardly extending stub shafts 58, 59 which are maintained in place by set screws 60, 61. The outwardly extending stub shafts 58, 59 serve as trunnions for the yoke 45, extending into alined bores 62, 63 formed in the arms of the yoke. It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that as the yoke swings bodily about the alined stub shafts 58, 59 the hearing will be swung through an arcuate path as indicated at 64. This arcuate path has two components one axial the other transaxial. The axial component is taken up by relative sliding between the shaft and the sleeve bearing at both ends of the cylinder. This sliding is thus effective to convert the arcuate bearing movement to straight line, transaxial cylinder movement.

The mounting plate'is generally annular in shape, and has an integral collar extension 70 which fits into the opening 34 in the printing press frame. The plate 55 is firmly clamped to the press frame by meansof screws 7174.

As a further feature of the invention, an adjustable spring is provided for urging the cylinder along a straight bore 92 in the end of the lever.

line .path of adjustment 76 (Fig. 6) so that resilient pressure is simultaneously to bear against the two rollers 18, 21. In the present instance, this is accomplished by a coil'spring'80' (Fig. 2) which is seated in the press frame and which is'coupled to an arm 81 which extends downwardly from the yoke 45. interposed between the spring 80 and the arm 81 is a rod 82 which is pinned to the arm by a transverse pin 83. The pin 83, as shown, is eccentric with respect to the pins 58, 59 pivoting the yoke to the press frame. Threaded to the rod is a threaded retaining nut 84 which forms a shoulder against which the spring 80 bears. The pressure exerted by the spring when the cylinder 23 is in its operating position may be adjusted by turning the nut 84, the turning being facilitated by capstan holes 85 provided in the nut.

In order to positively retract the cylinder 23 from the rollers, means are provided for rocking the yoke 45 in the retracting direction. This isaccomplished in the present instance by'extending the rod 82 through a bore 86in the side wall of the press frame where it is engaged by a manual throw-off. lever 90. For coupling the throw-E lever to the rod 82, the end of the rod is threaded into a plug 91 which is rotatably mounted in a 7 Clearance for the rod is provided by slotting the end of the lever 90 as indicated at 93 (in Fig. 3). A crosspiece 94 forms a convenient handle at the opposite end. At the pivoted end of the throw-off lever 90 is a camming surface 95 having a high portion 950. When it is desired to retract the cylinder 23, the throw-01f lever 90 is manually rocked in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, which causes the cam surface 95 to squeeze against the outer surface of the press frame, thereby compressing the spring 80 and retracting the roller. The portion 95a of the cam surface is preferably flattcd so that the lever may be left in the position shown in Fig. 4 while other work is being done on the press. When the lever is in its normal lowered position shown in Fig. 2, clearance is provided at 97 so that the spring may be free to exert its pressure against the yoke 45. The amount of clearance'may be varied simply by screwing the plug upwardly or downwardly relative to the rod 82.

In accordance. with one of the more detailed aspects of the present invention, lateral play is provided so that the cylinder bushing is free to move sideways through a limited range. In the present instance, such freedom of movement is due to clearance, indicated at 101, 102 (Fig.- 3) at each side'o'f the bushing i. e., between the bushing and the arms 46, 47 of the yoke.

While the invention has been described in connection with the socket 31, it will be understood that corresponding socket structure is employed at the other end of the cylinder; the socket may be a mirror image of that set forth above. It is, of course, desirable to adjust the springs 80 at each end of the cylinder so that they exert an equal force and so that the two flats are of constant widthalong the entire length of the cylinder. It is to be noted, however, that since the exposed end of the shaft 35, as fllustrated in Fig. 2, is readily accessible for vibrating the roller, the opposite end of the shaft need not be extended beyond its bushing and no access opening need be provided in the press frame.

One of the primary advantages of the present arrangement is that the socket need not be readjusted to compensate for changed dimensions of the rollers 18, 21 or to compensate for slightly changed dimensions when a new roller is substituted. This may be clearly seen by considering the practical case represented by the vector diagram in Fig. 7. In this diagram the force of gravity upon. the roller, which' acts straight down is indicated at 105 and is a known value; Where rubber rollers 18,

a nd 2123 since the force vectors are respectively parallel to lines intersecting thecenter of rotation. -Average values of magnitudes for these forces required to produce given flats are also known. In the present example it will be assumed that equal flats are desired, consequently the magnitudes are equal as shown. The only unknown is the magnitudes and direction of the force which must be exerted by the spring 80 and which is indicated by the vector 106. First consider the direction. The designer in designing the press may satisfy this requirement by correspondingly orienting the socket so that the hinge axis,'defined by the trunnions 58,59, is at right angles to the desired direction of spring force. Once this has been done, the spring pressure is adjusted by turning the adjusting nut 84 at each end of the cylinder to produce flats 103, 104 having the desired width.

of the flats by adjusting the single adjusting spring.

Thus reducing the spring pressure reduces the value of the force 18-23 to that indicated at 107 while increasing the pressure raises the force 18-23 to that indicated at 108, the force 2123 against the other roller being changed in automatically approximate proportion.

When it is desired to create flats ofunequal width against the two rollers 18, 21 this can also be accomplished by reorienting the angling of the socket, i. e.,'

by rotating the socket and .associated parts in one direction or the other from that shown. plishing this is set forth in my copending application Serial No. 489,009, filed February 8, 1955.

The limited lateral play of .the bearing 40 indicated at 101, 102 in Fig. 3 is desirable since it permits the cylinder to freely assume an equilibrium position relative to the two rollers 18, 21 regardless of minor changes in the roller diameter. Such equilibrium position is determined by the amount of compression of the rubber in the rollers 18 and 21 caused by the forces 18-23 and 21'-23 and variations in the size of the rollers'18 and 21 caused by expansion due to heat or absorption of ink. The play furthermore makes it unnecessary for the socket mounting plate to be located with great precision.

-In operation any change of roller diameter brought about by heat, with absorption or replacement is immediately and continuously compensated and the cylinder may be operated for the life of the press without changing the angling of the socket. Any change in spring pressure is in most cases unnecessary and in any event optional with the pressman.

The present socket is particularly suitable for the mounting of vibrated ink cylinders riding in contact with a pair of rubber rollers. Nevertheless, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the sockets. may be used with advantage in'the mounting of rubber rollers. Thus in the following claims the terms rollers and cylinders are not necessarily limited to rubber covered and hard surfaced elements-respectively, but refer more less of covering. a

I claim as my invention: 1. In a printing press, the combination comprisinga side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from 7 one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a socket base, means for mounting the base on the side frame, a bearing generally alined with said base and axially spaced therefrom for rotatably mounting said shaft, a yoke hinged at its ends to said base and said bearing respectively aboutlaxes which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the cylinder axis so that said bearing is guided along an arcuate path, said bearing being constructed and arranged to permit axial sliding of said shaft relative to the yoke so that the arcuate movement of the beating provides straight line movement of the cylinder between:

the spaced rollers, and means individually associated with Means for accomsaid yoke for biasing said yoke about the hinge axis on said base.

2. In a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a bearing surrounding the end of said shaft and axially spaced from the press frame, a pivoted yoke extending along the axis of said shaft and closely adjacent thereto, said yoke having a hinge connection with said bearing at one end and having hinge connection with the press frame at the other end, said hinge connections having axes arranged parallel to one another and perpendicular to the cylinder axis so that said cylinder is guided along a straight line path of movement between said spaced ink rollers, means including a spring connected to said yoke for biasing the cylinder into engagement with said spaced rollers, and retracting means directly connected to the yoke for positively moving said yoke against the force of the spring for retracting said cylinder away from said rollers.

3. In a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a bearing surrounding the end of said shaft and axially spaced from the press frame, a yoke extending along the axis of said shaft and closely adjoiied thereto, said yoke having a hinge connection with said bearing at one end and having a hinge connection with the press frame at its other end, said hinge connections being arranged parallel to one another and oriented perpendicular to the cylinder axis so that said cylinder is guided along a straight line path of movement between said spaced rollers, means acting upon said yoke for pressing the cylinder into engagement with said spaced rollers, said yoke providing for limited movement of said bearing along its hinge axis to enable said cylinder to assume a centered equilibrium position relative to said rollers and in spite of minor variations in the position or dimension of said rollers.

4. In a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a sleeve bearing surrounding the end of said shaft, a yoke having opposed arms extending along the axis of said shaft and straddling said bearing, the arms of said yoke having alined pivot connections with the respective sides of said hearing at one end and having spaced and alined pivot connections with the press frame at its other end, the axes of the alined pivot connections at the respective ends being arranged parallel to one another and oriented perpendicular to the cylinder axis so that said cylinder is guided along a path of movement between said spaced rollers, means for pressing the cylinder along its path of movement, into engagement with said spaced rollers, said cylinder. having a shaft extending between said opposed arms and between the alined pivot connections on the side frame, said side frame having a clearance opening generally alined with the shaft for receiving the same, and means on said side'frame for engaging the end of the shaft and for vibrating the same in the sleeve bearing.

5. in a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a socket base having a central opening, means for mounting said base on the side frame with the opening therein alined with an opening in said side frame, a sleeve bearing generally alined with the opening in said base and axially spaced therefrom, said shaft being mounted in said bearing and projecting through said side frame, a yoke extending between said bearing and said base said yoke comprising two parallel arms spaced from one another and symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of said shaft, said arms being hinged to said bearing and to said'base about respective axes which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the cylinder axis so that said cylinder is guided along a path of movement between said spaced rollers, means engaging said yoke for pressing the cylinder into engagement with said spaced rollers, and means on the outside of said side frame and engaging the end of said shaft for vibrating the shaft relative to said sleeve bearing.

6. In a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a bearing surrounding the end of said shaft and axially spaced from the press frame, a yoke having an inner end and an outer end and extending along the axis of said shaft, said yoke having a hinge connection with said bearing at its inner end and having a hinge connection with the press frame at its outer end, said hinge connections being arranged parallel to one another perpendicular to the cylinder axis and so oriented that said cylinder is guided along a path of movement between said spaced rollers, means including a spring interposed between the frame and said yoke for biasing the cylinder into engagement with said spaced rollers, and manually operated throw-01f means having a manual operator projecting through said side frame and eccentrically connected to said yoke for retracting the yoke and simultaneously compressing the spring for disengagement of said cylinder from said rollers.

7. In a printing press, the combination comprising a side frame, a pair of ink transferring rollers spaced from one another, an ink cylinder having a shaft and arranged to engage said ink rollers, a bearing including a bushing surrounding the end of said shaft, a yoke having spaced arms extending along the axis of said shaft, said yoke having a transverse pivot connection with said bushing at its inner end and having a pivot connection with the press frame at its outer end, said pivot connections being parallel to one another and in the region of the axis of said shaft so that the cylinder is guided for movement centrally with respect to said spaced rollers, said yoke having a cross member interconnecting said arms for maintaining them spaced apart a greater distance than the outer diameter of said bushing so that the bushing is free to move sideways between said arms over a limited range, thereby to enable said cylinder to assume a precisely centered condition relative to said spaced rollers, and means for biasing said yoke toward said rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,377,662 Barber June 5, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 694,047 Germany July 24, 1940 711,160 Germany Sept. 26, 1941 

